IS Virus: Episode 4 -Like Male, Like Female-
by tonbonkittybon
Summary: Sokoto lost his IS. He nearly lost his life. But he might lose his sanity once he discovers what the IS has done to the world. He's on the run, but he's dead set on dragging his pursuers on one hell of a road trip. NOTE: Chapter Word Limit extended to 4000 words. NOTE: Things get dark quick. This story has no explicit material; however, reader discretion is still advised.
1. Chapter 1: Hardball, Corner Pocket

_Episode 4: Like Male, Like Female_

_Part 1: Hardball, Corner Pocket_

Nightfall on Tenjin Island. The moon illuminated the entire seaside. The trees and the mountains were mellowed out to create a haven. All was calm...

Until a body washed up on the shore. His clothes were gone. His body covered in blood and scars. All reserve strength diverted to survival, gone. He was on the brink of death.

And yet, he still crawled forward. He was desperate to find any kind of shelter he can. After the harsh scuffle he recently suffered, if he doesn't find refuge soon, he will tip below the brink and die. He knows that. Yet his body doesn't. It is ordering his brain to shut down and allow time for rest. But his brain and his heart have put his body on hyperdrive; they will not rest until the bones start withering. He fought himself with all his might. But alas, it was only enough to get him behind the green. And even then, he had to cross the piercing threshold of well-grown bushes that pricked his skin and caused him even more pain. He bit down on his free arm hard to prevent himself from making a ruckus. This struggle continued for almost an hour, before he finally gave in. He collapsed on the grass and fainted, waiting for the moment when he would leave for another world.

That moment would not come so easily. After some time, he finally came to. He slowly opened his eyes and warmed up to the softness of the sunrise's touch.

"Nnn...Am I...in heaven?..."

"No, you're still here." A female voice echoed in his mind.

"Really?...But everything...seems...so radiant...so bright..."

"That's because it's morning. On the Tokyo coastline."

"Huh?" That surprised him. He quickly sat himself up- "AAAAAGH!" -but his broken rib prevented him from doing so.

"No, don't be so brash! You have to take it easy!" The woman pushed him down, squeezed his hand, and shoved her arm into his mouth to silence him as much as possible. He was squirming around, desperate to find a way to expel this pain out of his body. Finally, she pinned him down with her knee and took out a tranquilizer. She jammed it in his neck, and he began to calm down immediately. "Ugh...finally," she let go of him.

"Oh man..." Sokoto finally grabbed some air. Most of the pain and nearly all of the feeling in his body were gone, though he could still feel that rib piercing his insides, "Hey...what was inside that thing, anyway?"

"Just shut up," the woman said as she 'operated' on Sokoto, "Oh, and you might need this," she stuffed a rather large mouthpiece in his cake hole. With his most excitable body parts completely numb, she could proceed without any more interruptions. She felt around the injured area and found the target rib. She immediately stuck a needle inside it, which prompted Sokoto to let out a muffled yelp. She slowly drew the needle back, trying to move the broken rib back into place. While she maneuvered the rib, she administered another injection directly at the site of the fracture. That made Sokoto howl. And since he can't move his body at all, he felt like he was watching someone cannibalize his ribs.

Five grueling minutes later, she finished the operation. She took the needle out of him and placed a small patch on the wound.

Sokoto felt a surge of pleasure now that the pain was completely gone. He felt her remove his mouthpiece, and sputtered all manners of saliva all over the area beside him. He laughed it off, "Oh, ho ho ho ho...What the hell were you trying to do, woman?..."

"You can still walk around normally," the woman stately said, "but please don't do anything stupidly dangerous or stupidly dangerous for at least a week."

"Really?...That's all the info I get, huh?...Ok...Mind telling me why you even-" The moment he turned to her, she was gone. Without a trace. He stood himself up, fighting the pain after the fight and the operation. He went to the sealing to check his surroundings. She's not here anymore. How could she have disappeared like that? He didn't even get a good look at her because he was crying like a pansy. How was he going to track her down? Well, he can't, not in this condition, or this situation. The only thing she left him is a lunchbox full of money, some new clothes, bath house tokens, and a message saying, "I'll come get you once things have settled down. Again, try not to act your usually self." Finally, some sound advice that even Sokoto has to take into consideration. I mean, the cops must be going irate by now; they probably got eyes in the sky, hunting him down with every single bit of woman power they can find or steal.

"Well, not gonna get anywhere hobbling like this. Come on Silvia, let's-" He can't feel anything around his neck! "Hey! Where'd you get off to?!" Oh, yeah. That weird rabbit girl snatched her away from him. "No choice but to continue on foot...Let's try to get moving, then!" He hauled himself along the path, enduring the throbbing after-fight pain.

Man, the trip off the beach and into the city was even more painful than he thought. Every step he took felt like someone shoved a needle into his feet. Even the slightest movement of his arms or head would send a jarring signal throughout the entire body. And when he finally entered the streets, it got much, much worse. The streets were crowded with people, to the point where there was absolutely no elbow room to squeeze in. And it really shows; he was trying his damnedest to hide the pain, lest he scream out loud and attract any unnecessary attention. Somehow, he was able to survive all the way to the ferry and relax the entire way to the mainland.

Somehow...yes. For the entirety of the ferry ride, he had the most uncomfortable feeling of being watched. Not just because of his near-death encounter with what he'd call a chickadee psychopathic jokester, but because of the woman who healed him, and the people whom he fought with on that weird island. How did they find him so quickly? They couldn't have found him without eyes on the streets. If that's the case, then who can he trust? Anybody could be a spy for the government, or one of those crazy terrorist organizations. He slowly scanned the audience. The ferry occupancy was almost completely female-dominated. Most of them resorted to the indoor cabins, while the men remained outdoors to soak in the seawater and the sun. Nobody out of the ordinary, and no signs of spy activity. And yet, the atmosphere was tensed. Not much of a relaxing joyride, but it'll have to do, since it's the closest thing one can get to a comfortable seaside adventure.

Once the ferry landed, he slowly eased himself onto the dock, taking a breath of fresh air-

"Move it, deadbeat," someone shoved her elbow into his head, "We don't have time for your stupidity."

"Ack! What gives?! What's your problem?!"

"What's YOUR problem? Why are you even shoving your dirty face into my dress?"

"Fine. I'll go now."

"No, you won't," she grabbed his hair, "Security!"

"What's the problem?" A female officer arrived on scene, but then she caught wind of you-know-who, "Oh, dear God. What is your springy ass doing on this vessel?"

"What?" Sokoto asked, "Is there a law against me riding a giant boat?"

Well, that stunned them. Momentarily. Before she grabbed his shirt and yanked him over.

"Now, you listen here, punk," she growled, "This is my turf. My law. My word is final. If I ever see your dirty face around here again, I'll whip you so hard, you'll be screaming for that bullet."

Sokoto was about to crack a joke, but then he remembered that woman's words. He has to allow time for his body to fully recover, or else he'll be in worse shape than when he emerged from the compound.

"Right, right," he swallowed some of his pride, "Stay away from the ferry. Got it."

"What you got in that much box, boy?"

"What this? Whoa-hey!" She pushed him down and swiped it from him. She checked inside. Nothing.

"Well, looks like your mama done a good deed taking away your lunch," she spat on his face and chucked the box at his hair, "Get your ass outta the dock before I change my mind."

He simply got up and left, leaving the box behind. The officer noticed that box and lit up an evil smile. She threw it at him.

"Ok," he said silently, "Now I'm just baffled." He tilted his head to avoid the hit, and caught it. The woman and the officer saw everything and donned an outraged demeanor. They tried to go after him, but he was already lost in the crowd of pedestrians.

"Tch...amateurs," Sokoto couldn't resist after all. He could still act like his usual self; just keep it on the down-low, and no one will notice. Yeah, I'm positive no one will notice the unusually large wads of who-knows-what inside your pockets.

After an awkward bus ride, the next stop was the bath house, which, thankfully, still had two entrances to go off from. He walked up the the men's side, but it had an OUT OF ORDER sign plastered across the doorway.

"Huh?" What gives? The other side's working just fine! Why you gotta call end-of-game on this side?! Oh, don't tell me...

"Excuse me, miss? Is there any reason why the men's side is out of order?"

"Oh. We're destroying it."

"Say, wuh?"

"Calm down! It's not like you need a bath, anyway! In fact, you'll always be filthy no matter what you do." Again with the male smack-talk. What's their grill, anyways?! Why do men hate women?!

Sokoto checked all around him until he was sure no one could spot him. Then, he hopped himself over the fence and made a quick five-minute freshen-up session.

When he hopped back over, he was as cleaned as a schoolboy making his first impressions. Matter of fact, he was disguised as one, too. He couldn't believe how drastic a change a clothing switch could make. Toss in a shower, and, well, he was invisible to his hunters. Well, almost. He has to do something about that hair. He found a knife and sliced off a portion of his hair to make it less like a hedgehog and more like a school rebel. Now, he was ready to infiltrate the city! And what better place to start than a school!

Ōgusu High. The first stop on the "Gender Conflict Exploitation Expedition" (Thank you, Sokoto for the clever terminology)! Good God, what possible antics could occur on this trip!

"Ok," he said, gripping his lunchbox tightly, "Gotta find a way to gather info on the local scene." He walked through the gates and surveyed the immediate area.

The place was renovated to fit the futuristic age, but it still had its humble roots displayed. It had information tickers and 3-D projectors littered about the sidewalks, while grass and trees populated the inner areas of the courtyard, serving as barriers to the open spaces that are used as recreational grounds for students who want to catch a breath.

"Dang...what kind of whacko decided to go the Hi-tech interior design route?" Within two seconds, he completely forgot that there were people tailing his every presence to pin him down. He went full-on transfer-student-slash-tourist mode, exploring every nook and cranny of the courtyard, peeking under every bench and tree, and just plain marveling at the splendor of school life.

"Hey, you! What are you doing?! Orientation starts in fifteen minutes! Get inside now!"

"YIPE! Uh, yes, ma'am!" Um, hello? Did you forget why you're here? IS renegade pilot, ladies and gentlemen...

Inside the school's main gymnasium, it was the usual meet-and-greet. Staff and faculty meeting students and their parents; giggly girls talking about their next victim of love, it seems like; and calm and collected boys planning their next steps into the future or into the headlines of the school newspaper. Yep. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Except that the females outnumber the males by only a small margin, this time. What's up with that little stat?

He approached a dude since all the girls he talked to were overgrown tumors, "Yo, what's the word on the scene?" Really?

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm new to this area, so I was wondering if there's anyone who's familiar with the events happening around this school." Nice adjustment. Now, for the love of society, KEEP IT THAT WAY!

"Oh, that's all. Well, it just so happens that I'm the sponsor to the Chairman of Relations in Kanagawa Prefecture. I'll be able to tell you about everything on this front if you need it."

"Ok, thanks a lot. I'll be asking for your help since I get the stiff legs and overactive mind."

"Yeah, I get that a lot, too. What's your name?"

NAME?! Oh, man. He can't use his regular name, can he?! They might know his face, but no one's ever found his name, right?! Only one way to find out...

"I'm Fukuyama Sokoto."

"Sokoto? That's a weird name." Whew...close one!

"Is there a problem with my name?" And he dropped his guard. Kinda have to if you wanna fit in.

"Well, no, but there's this chick I met with a name Mikasa."

"What the-seriously?!"

"Yanaga! Yanaga Shinto!" A female voice boomed over the gym, "Get up here! We're about to start!"

"Uh-sure! See you at lunch, Sokoto!" Shinto scurried off to the stage area.

"Ehh...sure..." Wel, that wasn't too bad. Hard to find a stoic, level-headed human being nowadays!

During lunch, Sokoto got it off with some of the male students. He cracked all sorts of jokes and one-liners about the surroundings of the campus, how women and men are destined to conflict like Black Friday, whatever he could come up with. Thankfully, he remembered that he could be spied on, so he kept the laughs to a moderate, and the jokes away from the past couple weeks. His banter got the attention of some of the female members of the student body, who looked on with either jealous, curiosity, or disdain.

After lunch, there was a campus tour, but Shinto received special permission to personally tour Sokoto.

"Yo, Shinto! Can't believe it's been five minutes since I last saw you!"

"Likewise! How could I not resist that charm you cast on the entire freshmen class back there!"

"So, who are these two fellas?"

"Well, this is Nashima Misato of the Beautification Club, and Honda Kazuo of the Tennis Club." Greetings exchanged.

After that, the tours continued, with the added bonus of touring the new wings only built a couple years ago. Fully furnished, up-to-date, and waiting for the students to populate. And, of course, Sokoto cannot believe that he missed out on this part of his childhood. He walked with Shinto and the gang, wide-eyed and mouth agape. Finally, they came to an old classroom that never really got any touch of the times.

"Whoa...you'd think someone would dust off the crack of this place, but who overlooks something like this?" Sokoto asked.

"Well, that's because we had a horrible incident occur here," Misato noted, "Someone was bullied to the point of drop-out and isolation from our society. I petitioned for a complete renovation, but he Beautification Club would have none of it for some reason."

"Wait-I thought you're the president of-"

"Vice, actually..."

"Oh." Sheepish, then investigative, "Well, if no one's been in this room for decades, it must've had time to change since that incident. Maybe its impact won't be so profound now."

"Well, we can't know that for sure," Shinto commented, "and I doubt we'll want to know at all."

"That so?" Sokoto made up his mind now, "Then, I'm gonna be the first to break the mold and force them to know it all and make a decision on it!"

"Wait-What?!"

"Sokoto, don't be so brash!" Kazuo tried to stop him, "We're not even sure if we can escape that room unscathed!"

"Well, I'm not gonna let some school's overaged dandruff collection stop me! I'm gonna find that jewel no matter what!" Sokoto, ew.

"Alright..." Misato gave up, "Be our guest. Shinto?"

"Fine," Shinto grudgingly stepped aside, "But don't blame me if we get caught or you get expelled."

"I know what I'm doing!" Sokoto reassured his fellow comrades as he shoved open the door.

What the heck? It is dark, dank, and very dusty...but it's empty. Nothing here but what you'd find in a regular classroom. But there was one blatant exception to that statement: a single desk. Sokoto cautiously approached it. He could see some writings on it, but what were they? He got in even closer to get a better view. Then, he saw it. The secret that those three had warned him about.

That desk was covered in ink. That ink formed the most brutal insults you can imagine: PLEASE HURRY UP AND DIE, YOU CREEP, GROSS, DIE, PIG, C*** ADDICT, S***, GO AWAY, B****, PIECE OF S***, F******* S***, W****, PERVERT, etc.

"Wha...what is this?..." Sokoto could not believe his eyes. Why would they do something like this? Did someone amass so much hatred for one single person that someone actually formulated a plan to get rid of that student? And why the words on the desk?

"You like what we spiced up, there, don'tcha?" Sokoto heard Kazuo's voice behind him. Before he could react, the door shut. "Of course, no one knows it's us." Sokoto sensed three presences in the now blackened room. He got tense. They did this? Why? They seemed like such a nice bunch of friends, too!

"You wanna know why, right?" This time, it was Shinto's voice, "We saw that s*** waltz right outta the love hotel like it ain't nothing. Little b**** hogged up all the action to herself and didn't let us in on the action. We got a slice of that ass, and for what? A bleeding heart and a cover up."

"You guys?" Sokoto was now awestruck and frightened at the same time, "Y'all know what kind of position this puts you in, right? That was a human life you just took-"

"Who the f*** cares?!" Misato's voice boomed, "She was just a little b****, born one and died one, God f****** rest her soul!"

"Do you have any idea what they've done to us?! DO YOU?!" Shinto menacingly hissed, "Ever since that f****** b**** Rabbit-head introduced the IS to the world, everyone stared cowering under those giant breasts and stuck-up lipstick!"

"Rabbit-head..." Sokoto recognized that woman...

"That s***head f****** ruined us!" Kazuo stepped in, "At every turn, we men are being looked down on and spat upon! Those b****** need to be reminded who's in charge around here!"

"And something tells me you've experienced that pain as well," Shinto played to Sokoto's emotions, "That pain of being suffocated under those nails of the f****** wench and getting your balls clawed at...We know you deserve better..."

"Join us, Sokoto..." Kazuo was in a state of a trance, "Together, we can finally end their b******* on us and reassert our dominance. As we have the right."

"IT'S THE C***-F****** WHO SHOULD RULE THIS G****** WORLD!" Misato was losing it, "NOT THOSE C*** S****** S****!"

"Join us, Sokoto," Shinto said once more, "And we will assure you, you will rise to lead the students out of this hell hole they call society and into the ideal world that you envision."

"I see..." Sokoto made an agreeing gesture, "I get it now. Everything that's been happening...it all makes sense..."

"Yeah," Shinto reclaimed his level-headed state, "We need another inside guy like you to get the dirt on those b****** here who whip us like f****** pigs."

"We can't go on like this," Kazuo joined in, "under the heel of the female..."

"We ned your help," Misato chimed, "We need your-"

"Save it," Sokoto stopped them, "I've heard enough. I'll join in."

"Really?!" Misato exclaimed.

"Finally! We can strike back against the president!" Kazuo cheered.

"Good," Shinto nodded, "We just need to get you set up, and you'll be ready to fight back."

"Ok!" Sokoto said, "But I just have one tiny request for all three of you."

Those three stopped.

"Well, now's the time," Kazuo said, "Speak now, or forever hold your peace until men rule again."

ONE HOUR LATER...

Sokoto was in the town square, leaning against a wall, beside a window with a TV that displayed the news report. Eyes closed, arms folded, and listening to the news anchor woman anchoring away:

"We've confirmed just a few minutes ago that three dead bodies have been found inside Ōgusu High School's forbidden wing. The bodies have been identified as Yanaga Shinto, Nashima Misato , and Honda Kazuo, all of which are staff of the school and sponsors of the local clubs there. What's more revealing is that these three had been shoved down the legs of a desk that bore very disturbing remarks that seem to be directed towards a former student of Ōgusu High. The Kanagawa Prefecture Police Department has been asked to investigate this matter during the school's orientation~~~"

"Well, what was I supposed to do, Silvia?" Sokoto said to himself, "The ladies may be bickering butt sticks, but these guys literally took someone's life. The way the world is now, I can't let anyone get away with it." He stopped himself and gave a moment of silence, as if to pretend to let someone else talk. After about fifteen seconds, he continued his useless banter with: "Dude, everyone's hands were dirty way before that time. Hell, MY hands were dirty WAAAAAY before I found you! And even then, you didn't mind it during your escape from Scientific Hell!" Another few seconds of silence before he realized he didn't have his collar or his bracelet anymore, but he still kept the illusion going, "C'mon, Silvia. Let's find that bath house again. I feel like I'm gonna have scrub both of us off for twelve hours straight."

And he just left while the newscast trailed away...


	2. Chapter 2: Alright, Shake It Off

_Part 2: Alright, Shake It Off..._

One hour ago...

Ichika and Houki were aboard the train bound for the IS Academy, with Maya as their chaperone. They could all feel the tenseness of the situation, so they warded off some of the tenseness with-

"So, you two started a dojo for delinquents, I hear?" Maya asked.

"Yes," Houki answered, "The name Joushou Kishi gives everyone a hint of what we're doing for the community. So far, no one's been acting up or causing any incidents."

"We've been able to ease them back into society in the face of mounting gender tensions, thank God," Ichika sighs, "I dunno what happened since we graduated from the IS Academy. I mean, we have to defend them from practically everything."

"I'm sure you'll manage," Maya commented, "You've held out together for almost 18 months together."

"Well, would be...were it not for Houki's low threshold."

"Oh, can it, rock-brain," Houki threw a pout.

"Nice to see you're not so dense this time around," Yamada smiled, but then she heard the announcement that they were nearing the IS Academy. "Well, I know you're not dense at all when it comes to man-made disasters."

"Well," Houki said, "we got the call that the IS Academy was destroyed by a renegade pilot."

"I'm sure the damage isn't irreversible," Ichika reassured, "Chifuyu-nee's got a sharp-eye and an acute mind. I know she can fix this mess."

"Um..." Yamada said when the were in viewing vicinity, "She's going to need one hell of a mop..."

The trio finally saw the destruction that the renegade wrought upon the island. The central tower completely collapsed. All 6 Arenas have been demolished. Nearly all facility wings were crumbled, and every single residence hall was leveled to ground zero. Not even the greenery were safe from the renegade's wrath. The only thing that fully stood was a functional building meant for emergency operations, and even that suffered minor damage.

Just a little more time, and all of IS Academy would've went.

"How..." Houki sat there breathless.

"Wasn't Tabane supposed to subdue the renegade?" Ichika shook as he asked Maya.

"She did..." Maya solemnly answered, "But he broke her leg..."

Houki and Ichika's eyes widened.

When they arrived, Maya gave them a brief tour on their way to meet up with the rest of the crew. And, man, was it depressing. The trees were squashed by the metallic rubble of the facilities that met the renegade's fists of fury. There were injured that were still being treated laying alongside the path that they were taking. Standard issue ISs were still being optimized. Everything just looked like a war zone that barely started recovery. And when the got to the recreational area, they couldn't recognize it as that peaceful park that offered an escape from the hectic world anymore. It'd been transformed into a camp. So many officers and soldiers there, all of them trying either trying total it easy or finding crazy solutions to complex problems the renegade presented in a swat of the mosquito. One officer, however, caught the trio's attention: the one sitting with Orimura, Laura, Cecilia, and the rabbit-head, who was wearing a leg-brace.

"Oh my g-Tabane nee-san!" Houki dashed towards Tabane.

"Huh?" Tabane's rabbit ears stood up, "Houki, is that you?"

"Oh my gosh! What happened to you?!"

"Oh, it's nothing! I just snapped my leg, is all!"

"It most certainly is not nothing! How can you afford to even hear yourself say that-"

"Easy, Houki," Maya calmed her down, "Just breathe. It's gonna be ok. You know how strong your sister is, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"We don't have time to worry about minor injuries like this," Chifuyu butted in, "Has Ichika arrived yet?"

"I'm here, Chifuyu-nee. But nobody else got caught in under the rubble, right?"

"If we don't act now, that'll become a lie."

"Why don't we all gather round away from public eyes?" Cecilia asked, "I don't feel safe talking about our personal affairs in the open..."

Under the cover of the bushes, they sat.

"I don't think we can begin with pleasantries like this, so I'll just cut right to it," Chifuyu got the meeting started right away, holding out a small phone, "This is the footage we have of the renegade so far." A projection of the encounters with the renegade displayed above the phone, showing the full fight with Cecilia, some of the encounters with the authorities, public videos and pics of the renegade during his hiding period, and the most recent encounter yet. "As you can see, he is dangerous and unpredictable. He is capable of anything when he's given the wrong push. None of the experienced are a match for him. Tabane only managed to cripple him, but not before he snapped her leg." The projector shut off, and she withdrew the cellphone, "As of right now, we've only received tips of where his next location might be. We don't know when or where he will strike next."

"My men have seen few individuals that mostly match the boy's description," Laura commented, "They are following them, but none have truly stood out. We surmise that he's changed his hair and his outfit to better blend in with the people, rendering himself somewhat invisible to the naked eye."

"So," Ichika questioned, "even with a couple changes to his physical appearance, how can we still be able to pinpoint his exact location? I mean, from the footage, he's just a kid. I'd think he'd have done something to attract a bunch of attention to wherever he was."

"That's what we're waiting for," Chifuyu said, "The moment something happens, Laura's ground soldiers will be right there, waiting for him, disguised as police officers and INTERPOL agents, ready to round him up. But just in case they can't, depending on the situation and urgency, I will send one or two of you to step in and help the soldiers pin him down."

"What about the rest of us?" Houki asked.

"The rest of you will stay here to monitor the recovery-or-remake of the IS Academy," Chifuyu said, "With an explosion as big as this, there's no goddamn way the public won't notice. You'll keep everybody under control and watch the outside for any possible threats towards this island. With Japan's only stronghold against the turn of the tide completely annihilated, no doubt the rest of the world will come after us. Y'all have to do everything you can to protect not only yourselves, but the whole of Japan."

"Hang on!" Cecilia was surprised, "So, we're stuck here until this whole mess straightens out?!"

"Lady," Houki butted in, "Can we please not worry about your petty desires?"

"But I'm the Duchess of Central England! How am I supposed to hold the district together in the face of a major crisis?!"

"The instant you fell captive to the boy's-" Chifuyu tried to hold back a chuckle, "-clutches, as I will call it, we've notified the Queen of England. She's approved of your task to fix Japan's diplomacy."

"Oh, come now! Who could be fit to take over such a daunting role?!"

"Ok," Ichika clapped his hands, "We're drifting off the road. So...if anyone find the renegade, one of us will be sent out to investigate while the rest of us stay here to re-establish Japan's place in the IS world, right?"

"Yeah," Chifuyu nodded, "Exactly."

"So," Laura, "What do you need us to do?"

"You and Clarissa help with training and surveillance," Chifuyu mapped the game plan, "Cecilia and I will oversee public relation and communications. Ichika and Houki will watch the construction of the IS Academy. Clear?"

"Clear," they all answered.

"Oh, and Houki?"

"Yes, ma'am?" *CLANK!* They all heard something break and turned to find that breaking object. It was Tabane breaking her leg brace and trying to walk with both legs. She did walk for a few steps, but then stumbled onto a bunch of ISs...which fell over like dominoes.

"Do try to keep the Pink Mad Hatter under control, will you?"

"Uh...sure."

An hour later, everyone was sitting round in a picnic.

"Ah...so, that's why you've been so dense throughout your academic career?" Laura commented.

"Yep..." Ichika continued his story, "I didn't wanna live here, but Chifuyu-nee insisted, probably for surveillance purposes since...you know, male pilot and whatnot."

"The sad part is that he gave into the temptation of resisting the temptation to touch," Houki joked, "instead of pinching their nipples till they bleed."

"My, my," Cecilia, "Still the brash tomboy I remember. Some things never change, do they?"

Houki pouted, but then she wondered, "Speaking of change, how are you gonna deal with that red forehead of yours, Laura?"

"Urk! I don't know! Wigs are out of the option, and I refuse to consider a hair change!"

"Why not just a hair cut?" Ichika suggested.

"Hmm...Yes, just a small adjustment, no one will notice." Cecilia patted her head, but she jolted in pain. "Oh...my apologies..."

"It's fine...I am the Captain of the Third Reich and Commander of the Schwarzer Hase. This is nothing to me."

"Huh...Captain of the Third Reich..." Houki pondered, "What else have we been up to two years since we graduated from the IS Academy?"

"Well," Cecilia announced with a tone that reeked of pride, yet came off as humble (HOW DO YOU EVEN DO THAT?!), "I have been named Duchess of Central England not one week after I returned to England. They allowed me to keep the Blue Tears and offered to optimize and modify from time to time."

"Whoa..." Houki wowed, "Really? They took mine and Ichika's. Also Rin, Charlotte, and Kanzashi..."

"Well, when you're in a position that the government depends on," Cecilia rubbed it in her face, "conditions are different. I should note that I was supposed to be appointed to the IS Committee and oversee the IS Institute in England, we're it not for that meddlesome twit that so badly interfered with my-"

"Cecilia," Laura cut her off, "You're doing it again."

"EH?! Uh..."

"So, Ichika? What have you been doing behind our backs this whole time?"

"Oh? Well, Chifuyu asked Houki and me to put together a kendo dojo to help delinquents get off the ground again."

"Oh? How admirable."

"It wasn't easy at all," Houki, "We had to straighten them out before we could do any real miracles on them. And even then, getting them to handle weapons the right way is a daunting task in of itself."

"Well, that's what happens when delinquents hold a weapon," Cecilia, "All kinds of fantasies populate their heads with power and violence and gore. Who knows what will happen?"

"So," Laura again, "How long has the dojo held up?"

"Well, ever since Houki and I started living together..." Ooooooh...Ichika said the beloved... "I wanna say...a year and a half? Hm?"

Cecilia and Laura stared at the pair in disbelief.

"Living...together..."

"A...a year and a half?..."

"Yeah," Houki, "We've been dating ever since we started the dojo." A couple of nerves snapped.

"Huh?" Ichika, "Someone step on some twigs or something?"

Laura was just about to say something, when her communications are suddenly linked, "Captain! We have a disturbance in Ōgusu High School, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture!"

"What happened?!"

"I don't know, but from the looks of it, most likely a murder happened!"

"Do you have a location of a blonde male?!"

"No, but he went NorthEast and has not deviated since!"

"I'm on my way." Laura got up and ran towards Chifuyu, but not before making one last glare at Ichika, "Don't think that this changes anything." She left the group.

"Whoa..." Ichika caught that glance, "Did we say something?"

"I dunno," Houki said, "But I think she would like to point that out?" She pointed to Cecilia, whose lifeless eyes and emotionless smile were fixated on Ichika.

"I can't believe...that you would...betray me like this..."

"Are we going to do this now?..." Ichika gripped something behind his belt.

"You tore my heart into shreds..." Cecilia gripped her fork, "And now..." She squeezed down and snapped it in two, "YOU MUST PAY!" She put her palms out and called forth her drones, which immediately opened fire on Ichika. However, he was ready for it this time.

"Ok! Clearly, you've gone off the deep end!" He drew out a small energy sword and effortlessly deflected every single shot her drones had to offer. A couple of those shots chunked the drones and destroyed them.

"What the-" Cecilia was stunned, "How are you able to do that?!"

"We don't have time for this nonsense..." Houki grunted, "I'll find Tabane and Chloe. Ichika, stay with Cecilia and get the domestic clamor straightened out."

"Ok...nice to see you're even tempered during times of chaos..." Houki just let them be as she tended to Tabane. Which meant he had to deal with the Grand Duchess of Mood Swinging.

At Ōgusu High School...

It was a scene. The police surrounded impact site. News vans and reporters littered the outskirts of the campus. Girls were actually crying. People were talking oddly calmly, most likely about the methods to reverse this situation. Laura arrived on the scene with her posse, all disguised as agents of the law.

"We can't allow anyone near the bodies at this time," The school principal stopped her.

She only grinned.

"Oh, but you must," Laura spoke fluent Japanese and showed her the badge she and Clarissa forged, "I am here on behalf of Councilwoman Shinonono. She has given me strict orders to investigate this matter."

"Uh..." Well, she was convinced, "If you insist...Hey! Make room for these agents!"

"Good. We'll split up into two groups, then-"

"Ohhhhhh, no," the principal shoved her fingers into Laura's men, "These thugs are not going inside our school."

"Fine. They will gather blood from the bodies. I'll go inside."

"No, we can't allow that, either-"

"Must I report your uncooperativeness to Shinonono and risk Ōgusu's permanent shutdown?" That put the principal on edge.

"Gggg..."

"Then, you approve of my men going inside?"

"Fine...go..."

"You three, with me." The group split up, "You four, scrape the forbidden classroom for any suspicious evidence."

"What?! But I-"

Laura's signature death glare. The principal was powerless. She was forced to allow these men to defile their school grounds. Under the Councilwoman's orders, no doubt.

At the impact site, Laura saw pegs of a student desk literally shoved into the heads of three male faculty members. They were separated from each other by more than ten feet. She looked up and saw a hole in the building, glass pieces still dangling from the edge, holding on for dear life.

"Disgusting, renegade..." She muttered under her breath, then turned to her men, "Scan the pegs." They went over to the bodies to examine the damage done to their uniform and heads. One female officer approached Laura.

"Ahem...mind telling me what these filthy pigs are doing?"

"I am here under Councilwoman Shinonono's orders, and they are here under my orders."

"But...couldn't you hire more competent detectives instead of-"

"I want them to open their eyes to ignorance. That's all. Now, stay out of our way or I will arrest your for interference."

"Captain!" One of the soldiers called her over, "We've found something!"

"Let me see," Laura came to one of the bodies and eyed the spot he was talking about. Not only was the peg rusted, it was pushed through the skull cleanly without cracking it. The other bodies were struck in the exact same fashion.

"A grudge...many years in the making. Collect the blood samples." She received an incoming message from her men inside the school, "Go ahead."

"This desk..." The voice over her communicator, "It has profanity littered about the top surface."

"Condition?"

"Poor, definitely due to aging. We are inside the only classroom that has not received any renovation whatsoever."

"Interesting...Take as many pictures as you can and send them over to me."

"No interrogation?"

"No. We've done what we needed to do. Meet me in the town square," she turned to the principal, "Thank you for your unwillingness to cooperate with us in this matter. I'm sure Shinonono would love to have a personal tea and crumpets with you." She seemed to take delight in the principal's face slowly twisting with rage and helplessness. "We're done here," everyone in her group walked away. "Take the sample back to the island. I'll pursue the renegade by myself."

A few hours later, in the town square...

"I take it this is where he was last seen?" She asked while leaning against the wall of a convenience store.

"Yes, Captain," a soldier said to her, "Afterwards, he walked in that direction."

"And why didn't you subdue him at that instant?"

"He gave me no reason to. Not to mention a possible public disturbance considering his fighting style."

"I see...how was his demeanor?"

"He wasn't flaunting every step."

"Hmm...so, he's still injured..." Communication from the island, "Come in, Clarissa."

"Commander! The desk! The bodies! They..."

"Have you found anything!"

"The desk...those words are what you would say to a prostitute, or a rape victim! The bodies are a perfect match for three expelled male students!"

"I see...then would it be safe to conclude that the renegade is an anarchist?"

"Um...most likely, though we are still investigating the students' past."

"Continue the investigation, and control Ichika's behavior as well."

"Jawohl, Kommandant!" Channel disconnected.

"Hahhhh...What is this renegade's game?..." Laura left and walked in the direction the soldier pointed.

"Perhaps he is merely a chaotic being," her soldier commented, accompanying her, "and he seeks nothing more to tear the fabric of peace."

"But no person, however revolting, acts on an impulse without past motivation..."

"HEY!" A group of female officers blocked the intersection, "What the hell are you doing out here?!"

"Who goes there?" Laura stepped in.

"Out of my way," one officer pushed her aside and tasered the soldier, "Thought you could drift past curfew, didn't ya, you little prick?!"

"Unhand him this instant!" Laura tried to rescue him, but the others grabbed her arms, "What are you doing?"

"It's ok, little girl. He won't bother you anytime soon."

"But I was escorting him to a secure location-"

"A love hotel, no doubt. He was going to rape you, don't you know anything?"

"Yeah," the officer who wrangled the soldier said, "You know you're not supposed touch us like love dolls, right?"

"No!" Laura shouted, "You don't understand! He was just-"

"Shaddaup!" SLAP.

"This man has engaged in sexual harassment and frotteurism," the officer proudly proclaimed, "and that against a female minor, this disgusting pig. How do you plead?"

"Nngh..." The soldier could only let out a small grunt.

"The verdict has been determined...guilty," the officer took out a loaded handgun and shoved it in his head, "The sentence..." She cocked her gun and sneered with a wicked grin, "DEATH." She pulled the trigger.

Well, she tried to. Thing is, she was stung up by the neck with a pink wire. She tried to break herself free from the wire's constrict, but it was too tight, too small, and too strong for her to grip. She stared up into the sky, as if to pray her last prayer. But not fifteen seconds had passed before she was released. She knelt there, already sweating and gasping for air. She looked up to see who tried to kill her. It was the girl they liberated earlier. But why? Why would she prevent the death hot someone who "clearly deserved to die?" The other officers tried to shoot him as well, but those wires deflected every single shot fired. Once the firing stopped, the wires smacked the guns out of their hands and destroyed every single weapon they had. They faced the wires back to their source point. Then came the words that made them shiver:

"I am Captain Laura Bodewig...Commander of the Schwarzer Hase, and current IS Representative Cadet of Germany...and I demand that you clear my subordinate of all charges...ALL OF WHICH ARE FALSE ACCUSATIONS!"

An IS Pilot?! And she's using it right now! The officers were completely stunned. Why would she defend that scumbag?! They were going to ask, but they knew that angering her further would risk their own lives. They have no choice but to yield to her will. They released the soldier, who simply brushed himself off and walked to his commander's side. He hopped onto her back as she prepared for takeoff.

"My thanks to your police department for enlightening me on your situation," Laura angrily stated, "I'm sure my Chairwoman would love to see your school shut down. Possibly the entire prefecture if word of our little encounter get out..." And with that, they took off into the sunset sky, hoping to rid themselves of this near-failure. They were halfway to the island when they got another call from a ground soldier.

"Make it quick," she was obviously annoyed.

"Renegade spotted in the resort near Blue Turf Golfing Resort!"

"Surround the premises immediately."

"Jawohl, mein Kapitän!" Communications cut.

"Are we going to attack?" The soldier asked.

"Ja."

"Despite the prefecture knowing of our presence?"

"They wouldn't dare."

"Despite your hair in his pos-"

"SILENCE!"

"..."

The two remained silent en route to the golf resort.


	3. Chapter 3: A Pointless Memo

_Part 3: A Pointless Memo_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGH..." Sokoto was trying to bathe himself without yelping in pain every time he raises his arms or pours water on himself. And it didn't help that the water was rather warm, which pierced his body with hypothetical knives and needles. "Geez...I know she said it'd take a week to heal up, but-AAAAAAAAAGH!...COME ON!..." He can't even manage the simplest tasks unscathed. He's been trying to keep his voice under control, too, mostly by attempting to bite his entire arm off. And even that failed because his teeth are sharp, almost like a wolf's fangs. One bite on someone's skin could potentially create a howl so frightening, so booming, that not even the gods themselves could get a decent good night's sleep after hearing such a shriek.

"Ok...Ok...done..." Finally, he finished everything he needed to do. He dried himself off and changed back into his school uniform, "Huh? Oh, lose the long-sleeved torture chamber!"

He went into the main hallways. There was nobody out there. He'd thought that someone would come banging on the doors, demanding his immediate removal from the premises because he'd made such a racket in the bathhouse. And yet, it seems like everyone can sleep under the racket. Do I smell fish? How about snake trails? He snuck out of the bathhouse and stopped short of the front desk.

"Huh...Hmm, knowing who I'm up against, they've probably got the whole hotel surrounded by now. Might as well waltz right off the front door." And that's exactly what he did! He swung his lunchbox on his shoulder and waltzed right out the from door. After swiping a lollipop from the front desk.

Ok, here's the crazy part: the chaotic scene that unfolded in front of his eyes was commonplace for him! Yeah, just ignore the seizure-inducing lights and blaring sirens and focus on the twitching nerves of the police officers. All of whom came six to a cruiser. An ungodly amount of them, at that!

Sokoto sloshed his lollipop around his mouth for a few moments before removing it from his suction-powered lips, "And who do I have the honor of attributing my newest angry predators to?"

The doors behind him suddenly slammed shut with metal barricades. Now, that caught him off guard. Why would a hotel have a security system meant for terrorists? What's next, spotlights from heaven? All of a sudden, he was blinded by a quick flash of lights. He tried to protect his eyes while he was finding the source.

Helicopters? Seriously?! Who else knows about his most recent exploits?! Man, social media must be trending tenfold since the turn of the century! But who piloted the first wave of notices to hunt Sokoto down, anyway? Well, he caught face of one of the heli pilots. He could manage to make out the pilot's facial features. What he saw made his heart sink.

Male. Middle-aged. Strands of gray hair. Blue eyes. Oh no.

"Pagan woman..." Sokoto whispered exasperated.

"Not quite." A voice declared from behind the massive rows of policewomen, who stepped aside to make way for an entrance. He looked on to find out who ordered this insane assault. Once he saw a leg enter the limelight, he knew this would end horribly for him.

"What, silver and scarlet not a good combination?"

"No," the silver-haired woman he fought before appeared before him, "I preferred sunflower and rose."

"Oh, I can arrange for that," he said nervously. He couldn't come up with a better comeback because this was the definitive "no-win" situation.

"Silence!" She put forth his hand and called upon the entire armada of assailants, "Ground forces! Open fire! Disable him!"

Disable him?!

DISABLE?!

This isn't crippling an ability! This is downright manslaughter, and you know it!

Not that it mattered, because the police unloaded a hell-storm of lead upon him! He leapt under the cruiser to hide from the bullets. He clung to his small box as he racked his brain for any possible escape route from this death house. There were trigger-happy nut-cases surrounding the entire resort, firing nonstop; there were helicopters illuminating the entire block, offering no shade from the light of surveillance; worst of all, the woman from whom he ripped off clean her forehead was in command of the entire unit, and God knows she wanted his head more than all the bloodthirsty old hags in blue combined!

"Silvia! What're we gonna do?!" He screamed in anguish.

The woman noticed that he disappeared from the scene.

"Stop! He's under a police cruiser!" she shouted, "Search under every vehicle on the premises! Helicopters, center the light on the vehicles!"

The firing stopped.

"Huh?" He peeked from under the cruiser, "Oh, crud, they're on the prowl..."

Indeed, they are. Not only are the policewoman patrolling virtually every single corner of the parking lot, but the helicopters are continuing to rain down heavenly light upon the demon that infiltrated the premises. His only cover was the shadows under the vehicles, but even that would be blown soon enough, unless he does something to ward them off. Right below the seething teeth of the officers mouthing off taunts every few seconds.

Well, they were so infuriated, they kept venting their anger out through their mouths...giving him a primitive sonar radar! That's it!

Sokoto tuned his ears to the sound of human wrath. If someone so much as inhales some air, he'll be able to tell where that person is. He peeked under the cruiser to check the position of random feet, giving him the advantage of hidden sight. He only had to wait until someone came near the cruiser.

"Come on out, little man..." Female. Left side. 4 feet away. He scurried to where she was. He stayed under the cover of the cruiser's shadow. He could see her shoes. Wait...why are they stopping? Sokoto suspected something. He narrowed his gaze at the pair of shoes to figure out what their plan was. Suddenly, he heard a small scuffling of shoes behind him.

"So, that's your game..." he said with a wicked grin. He scooted to his side a little bit to get a clear view of how many were on his position. Two behind, one in left. He only has one bullet-proof lunchbox that he cannot lost whatsoever. Well...if he has to play dirtier than dirty, so be it. It's not like he's innocent by any means. He waited, clutching his lunchbox tightly, until...

"GOTCHA!" The policewomen crouched down to shoot at him. Big mistake. He threw the lunchbox smack-dab in an officer's face right before she fired her gun. Then, he quickly rolled out of the other officers' gunfire. He wasn't moving fast enough to avoid the bullets, but at least they missed his vitals. And got each others' eyes. Yep, they fell for it big time. And he had enough time to steal a gun and slam the box into her face once more to conk her out. He grabbed the gun and the box and headed into the bushes.

"Dammit! He's escaping through the bushes!" Yes, I just said that...

"Kristoff!" The silver-haired woman yelled.

"Jawohl!" Kristoff called out, "All helicopters track him down! Shoot him only in the limbs!"

The flying devils descended from the sky, raining down heavenly fire upon the intruding Sokoto. Escape was now impossible for him. Wherever he went, the lights followed. Whenever he was about to escape, bullets would stop him cold. All he has was the bullet-guard lunchbox and his tried wit. He knew the lunchbox wouldn't stop every bullet, and time was running out for him to make a decision-

"Kapitan, we have the boy surrounded," a servicemen radioed. He heard a "Disable him now!" in response.

"Crud"...Sokoto said to himself, "Silvia, if I die, you stay away from my funeral..." His decision is made. He was going to make them shoot each other. And when the right moment comes, he'll leap at a soldier and steal one of his weapons. He clutched his lunchbox tightly as if it were a sledgehammer.

"Fire now!" The soldier shouted. And that's when all hell broke loose.

The instant the soldiers fired at his legs, he jumped. The aiming followed him, and the bullets didn't stop. Somewhere, during all that, a few soldiers shot themselves. The helicopters didn't fire for that same risk, but they could turn off the lights to try and blind him. After all, they did train constantly in the dark, sensing where their target is hiding. The soldiers still have the advantage. The lights went off. Their night vision lenses automatically activated. They were now the group of wolves hunting down one little fox. There was no way their prey could escape now. They stealthily trekked along the dense forest, stalking their prey. Suddenly, one of them saw a bushy, spiky-haired head. He shot at it, and it fell to the ground. He and a couple more men behind him gathered round the impact area. One of them stepped in closer to examine-

*THWACK!* *BA-BA-BAM!*

Someone was shot! The rest of the men turned their attention to the triple play. They saw three of their own fallen...along with a large rock and some branches.

"Impossible..." someone muttered, "How did he do this?..."

'Ass-dumbes,' Sokoto thought to himself while hiding atop a tree, 'I eat night vision goggles for snack-time...' He distracted everyone for a few seconds to climb himself into the leaves of a tree, to a vantage point where he can now survey the entire area and plan the takedown of every living thing in his sight. All he needed was one little mishap to-

*BAM!*

'HOOly monkey...' That was unexpected. He kept a tight grip on the branch to keep himself from falling over. For the most sudden of jump-scares, he believes. Everyone turned to the direction of that gunshot. The spotlights shone upon the origins of the shot.

A soldier just stood there, eyes widened. He let out a small groan before collapsing to the ground. A female officer stood behind him, gun pointed straight ahead and smoking.

"Sorry, boys," she cockily hissed, "but we'll take it from here." The rest of the female taskforce approached behind her and pointed their weapons at the male military troops.

"Please," one of the soldiers tried to appeal to her, "We don't mean any harm. We just want to help y-" *BLAM!*

"We don't f***ing want your help! Only your submission! Kill them all!"

And just like that, the resort became a battleground. Men and women taking their eternal internal power struggle to the external, disrupting any hope of possible peace between the two genders. Looks like the taskforce only allied with the men because it'd be a quick hunt for the renegade. Now, their patience has run out. They were gonna shed male blood no matter what.

"Well," Sokoto was stunned at the development of the chaos, "that'll do. *INAHLE* C'mon, Silvia. Let's leave them to their...uh...problems..." He slithered down the tree and somehow crawled through the bullet hell undetected. He stood himself up behind the line of bushes, brushed himself off, and took one last look at the scenery behind him.

And somehow, it went from bullets to blood. Women sticking nightsticks and flashlights in men's eye holes and pie holes, men ripping women's rib cages open with rifles and knives...pure carnage.

Sokoto shrugged, "This is why I don't date nobody," and scurried into the night.

Meanwhile, a certain silver-haired, red-foreheaded petite chick was struggling to contain the insanity that is, the Red Forest.

"Kristoff! What's happening?! Why have the helicopters opened fire?!"

"The female officers had first blood on one of our own. The soldiers are retaliating. They mean to bring this conflict to a standstill."

"Ggg...of course...so that's his game..." Oh, come on! How could he be smart enough to plan THAT far ahead! "Kristoff, salvage what manpower you can and return to the nest."

*BAM!* They barely dodged a bullet from behind. She turned around and gasped in horror.

"Oh, no," reinforcements from the police department have arrived, "You're not going anywhere." They've surrounded the entire perimeter during the chaotic bloodbath. She tried to look for a way out, but she was cornered on all sides.

"Listen," she tried to reason with them, "I know you have conflict with my men. But I believe we can reach an under-"

"Shut it," the lead officer pissed at her, "Laura Bodewig, Captain of the Stadtallendorf. One of the few armies in the world that allows those filthy vermin to mingle with our gender."

Never had Laura experienced a combination of confusion, dumbfoundedness, and utter disgust like now. Seriously? Men and women fought together in the army since before she was selected into the German super-soldier project. What's their deal? "And what's wrong with having both sexes serve in the-"

"Those misogynists are filthy bastards who do nothing but torture us females all day long! They soil our purity with their vain ambition! And you allowed them to mingle with other women!"

"Uh...huh..."

"For that, you will die. WOMEN! FIRE AT WILL!" The instant the policewomen fired on her, the IS within her garter belt on her right leg released and defended her from the hell storm. Kristoff saw the entire scuffle unfold below his eyes. He gave the order to all helicopters to open fire and clear the entire resort of any wearing blue. But he also noticed an unusual patch of dark yellow under the dim streetlights.

"Captain!" He radioed, "The renegade is headed towards a cemetery management office!"

"Make sure everyone gets back to the nest. I'll wrest the boy back to Hell." And with that, she took off into the night, leaving behind a huge make of anger on the pavement. All she could hear were the screams of anger from the officers who once again failed to prevent the infection of the male disease.

Meanwhile, Sokoto was literally running for his life, despite his side emitting the most excruciating pain he's felt since the high-heel hell. Through the dark night under the dimmed lights, he ran and ran, and never stopped running, because he knows that there's a certain someone who's looking to take off a few hairs from his scalp. And she's armed with a flying robotic exoskeleton! And he got his taken away! He has to hide somewhere, otherwise it'll be pagan ritual all over again.

He saw a building with lights on, and made an immediate b-line towards whatever that building is. He didn't care; he just needed to last the night off without any trouble from that woman. He barged through the windows and frantically crawled under a desk.

He gripped his left side tightly. He had overdone it, like usual. His repaired rib is on the verge of breaking apart again. He leaned his head against something and looked up at the moon light through the window, controlling his deep gasps.

"Whew...huh...just like...Westboro..." As in, when he witnessed their picketing "protests" near Washington D.C. and decided to launch a one-man assault on Westboro Baptist church. He just graffitied their hate messages all across town, only they're directed at those who hate. And every time the Westboro people fought back, his responses got crazier and crazier, to the point where they were forced to call upon the "damned" to aid them in their mission to banish the "demon", which got rejected. The cycle of hate comes full circle.

This was different, though. This is a different kind of hate. It's all intensified and fortified. Of all the places to get caught up in, why a graveyard? The center for the dead, who buried their hate underneath the depths of the earth?

He finally calmed down as he held onto his side and closed his eyes, "Y'know, Silvia...I sorta wondered what it'd be like if I didn't have to put up with all the horse crap of the world...Well, yeah, it'd get a little boring. Whew...but at least we'd have some breathing room...Hah...What if we were to just jump in the pool, and float all the way down the river, huh?" Anything to ease the pain, bro. By the way, are you aware that you're a wanted man, and that jumping in a pool is impossible? "Yeah, I know...Hey, I'm wanted in more ways than one, y'know!" Oh, sure. Them police girls'll be making an altar of you by the end of the night... "Ew...I'd rather go down in a blaze of glory than in a sea of kisses. Ick." Well, then. Why don't you let yourself die? Like, every time, you evade. Why not just die? "I dunno...ask the girl with the red blemish on her forehead who's standing at the front door!"

"How did you know I was right there?" Laura slid out from behind the door and into the open.

"No one can dismount from an IS noise-free. Just like I can't blab off without giving away my current location."

"And yet, you'd rather storm their front instead of wait for the invasion."

"Not this time. I'm just waiting for your inner Cthulhu to rip my brains out and call it a day."

That got her thinking. Now, why would he say that? Destroying their targets before the detainment team arrives? Her division only does that under exceptional circumstances. Why did he jump to this conclusion? More than that, though. Why would he talk now? It doesn't matter; this was her one chance to end the renegade's run of terror. All she had to do was keep him talking.

The only problem was that, if she doesn't choose her words carefully, they'll swim down the same waterfall. She kept the conversation going as she slowly approached the center of the room, "You know we're on hallowed ground. I can't desecrate this place with my IS."

He knows she's on the move. He hasn't recovered enough to run yet. He has to make her choke on her own words, otherwise he's a goner, "Why are you saying that when we've both befouled these grounds just by being here?"

"I came through the front door. You bashed a window. I doubt 'befouling' would be enough to describe it."

She's getting closer, and he could feel her breathing down his neck, "So declares the one who claims to be pure." It's not enough; she's not slowing down one bit.

"Oh, how can you expect such a pompous proposal..." She's standing in the middle of the room now, eyeing the direction his voice is coming from, "...to be a reality in any sense?" She slowly walks toward his hiding place, partially deploying her IS's right arm to prepare to hold her target in place. However, the instant her arm was ready-

"Boy, you must make your parents real proud, huh?" He mindlessly blurted out.

That stopped her cold.

Huh? What'd he just say? What gave him any reason to say that?! This was a conversation about whether it was right to claim purity in anything and anyone! Since when did her parents come into play?!

None of that mattered. She was more focused on the last bit of words that came out of his mouth. "You must make your parents real proud...your parents...parents..." Until a few years ago, she had remained in the dark about a large portion of her past' had she remained in her militaristic mindset, she would be unfazed. However, she came into contact with Ichika and his band of girlfriends. They opened her eyes to the warmth, love, and emotion of the family, of friends, and of a dream. She's been trying to cope with the fact that they uncovered her past, including the fact that she was a test-tube baby, created only to be a weapon of mass destruction. They would use her to kill anyone and everyone, including those that didn't do anything wrong. She would be a mere object. She would not know the love, or the warmth of a mother and father. All she knew was violence and assaulting. And that won her very demeaning remarks and a mortifying reputation, in school, and within her own ranks. During that time, there was no one to comfort her. No one to guide her along the path of life. No one to help her up when she got knocked down repeatedly.

He noticed an eerie silence. Did she stop? He asked her a test question to find out, "Your parents must feel proud to have raised a daughter like you, huh?" No response. She did stop. She's lost in her own muddled emotions. Now's his chance to break free, while she's still swimming. He slowly crept towards the doorway. She's still haunted by her past. She can't seem to focus her energy back into the real world. He stayed in the dark until he was three feet from his escape route. Just a little more, and he'll be home free. But she finally snapped back to reality. She noticed the person who made those horrid remarks just now. She wasn't going to let him get away. She fully deployed her IS and launched her wire daggers at him. He noticed her recovery and turned to face her and caught his limbs in the daggers' way, pinning him down on all fours instead of killing him. But their impact upon hitting him vibrated throughout his body, and it was enough to shock his broken rib dislocated. He yelped in pain. He closed his eyes to wince the pain off, but the wires squeezed at his wrists and ankles, preventing the pain from delocalizing from his side.

"So declares the one who abandoned his own parents to selfishness," she hissed. He is now at her mercy, and his time for repentance had already passed. She readied her railgun and aimed it at his head.

"Well..." He squeezed in his last words, "What'd you expect...from a pompous proposal...of a harsh reality?..."

She let out a howl of hate as her railgun charged. He turned away as she fired her gun.

Astoundingly, she missed by a long shot. Something hit her just as she launched her gun. She turned around to find a heavily armed police force behind her. They were the ones who fired the rocket at her.

"Attention, intruder!" A voice megaphoned, "You are trespassing upon sacred ground! Surrender now, or you will be forcibly removed!"

Only after those words were spoken did she realize what just happened. Her suspicions were confirmed when she was distracted by the rocket, allowing the renegade to slip off the wires. She played right into his hands. Again.

Sokoto ran as far away as he could, still clutching his broken rib. This time, there was no stopping. He's going to run the entire night away, chasing after the waning moon until it shines its last.


	4. Chapter 4: Why, media! WHY!

_Part 4: Why, media?! WHY?!_

"This is crazy! How did he get away from you twice?!"

"He struck at my memories and emotions...two of the most vulnerable things of the human soul."

"I understand. What will you do, Commander?"

"I will withdraw for the time being. I've blown my cover, showed them my face. This mission is now in your hands, Clarissa."

"Jawohl, Commander."

It has been five hours since the scuffle at the cemetery management office. And within those five short hours, so much information was twisted and leaked. Not only did the news of the renegade's destruction of the IS Academy spread like wildfire, but the assault on the Blue Turf Golf Resort was fabricated. It now said that the renegade led the assault to stick it terrorize the female gender, but it was easily quashed by the "heroic" police task-force.

"Anything from Laura?" Ichika asked.

"Nothing we haven't heard before," Clarissa turned around and answered, "Though she won't be returning to the nest for a few days."

"What? Why? She's not the kind of person to let anyone's opinions affect her!"

"About that..." She rewound the battle footage which was sent to her laptop, "Take a listen to this." She played the recording of the conversation Laura had with the renegade.

(Renegade: So declares the one who claims to be pure)  
(Laura: Oh, how can you expect such a pompous proposal...to be a reality in any sense?)  
(Renegade: Boy, you must make your parents real proud, huh?)  
(Laura: Nn-...)  
(Renegade: Your parents must feel proud to have raised a daughter like you, huh?)

And the recording stopped.

"No...way..." Ichika was stunned. The renegade was craftier than anyone thought. He knew that the attack on IS Academy clearly wasn't premeditated. But this... "How did he know her weakness?..."

"We believe he's been in contact with...y'know..."

"Uh...so, she left you in charge of the manhunt, huh?"

"It seems so."

"I'll leave you to it, then," he just left, "Hey, Chloe! We got bad news!"

"Hah..." Clarissa turned back to her laptop, "After seeing this...Yes...The renegade has to pay." She closed her laptop and went out to find Chifuyu, who was consulting with the rest of her staff.

"Clarissa?" She saw her approaching, "I'm busy right now."

"I'm afraid this can't wait," Clarissa stated, "We believe that the renegade may be allying with Phantom Task."

"What? We eliminated them two years ago. How could they have resurfaced in such a short amount of time?"

"My team and I are investigating that right-"

"Orimura-sensei, Clarissa," Yamada called her back, "I'm afraid we must continue with the meeting."

"Meet me under that tree afterwards," Chifuyu whispered before turning back to the meeting.

Clarissa simply acknowledged and walked towards the tree they pointed to, curling her hands into a tight fist and looking down at the ground. This incident marks the third time in a row that they've failed to rein in the renegade. And the second time that he's made a public farce of Japan, supposedly the strongest country in the world in terms of IS development and application. Such humiliation cannot bode well for the rest of the world. Moreover, he did it with such crude finesse and malicious cunning. He's making the top IS pilots in the world look like a bunch of prepubescent wannabe rejects! The thought of playing second fiddle to a ruffian like him...

"Clarissa, I'm here," Chifuyu said, "Um...are you ok?..."

"What?" she answered, startled, "Ah...yes, I just...I needed to regain my composure..."

"By snapping a shade tree in half?..."

"Uh..." And so ends another hallmark of the former IS Academy: the harmony shared between technology and nature.

"Anyway...what's this I hear about the renegade and Phantom Task?"

"Well..." Clarissa opened her laptop and showed the surveillance footage of both his landing on Tenjin Island, his ride through the ferry, and the assault on the cemetery management facility, "just watch and see. First, here's the video of when crashed on the island." The video showed the renegade writhing in pain behind a huge area of greenery, being treated by a female silhouette. Clarissa paused, "If we zoom in on the mysterious female..." She zoomed in 40x and brightened the screen.

Long black scruffy hair. Steely dark brown eyes.

"No..." Chifuyu gasped in horror, "That can't be..."

"And here's when he disembarked from the port onto the mainland," Clarissa opened a clip of his little scuffle with the port officials. It played until one of the guards threw the lunchbox at him, at which it was paused and zoomed in around that guard. Wicked grin, orange hair, beige-red eyes...

Chifuyu's look of horror turned into a desperate expression. She seemed to sweat more with every second spent on the screen.

"And here's what we've found at the cemetery management place," Clarissa opened the clip of Laura's entrance into the facility. At the point when she entered the building, another woman poked her head out of the bushes and donned a police cap, at which point the clip was again paused and zoomed in on that woman. Long blonde hair, red eyes...a mole under the left eye.

Chifuyu just slammed the laptop shut. She looked down a the ground, as if to hide her face in utter embarrassment.

"How..." Her voice quivered...

Clarissa was scrambling her brain looking for the right words, "Well-"

"HOW DID THEY F***ING SURVIVE?!"

"I..." Clarissa tried to come up with an answer, but nothing turned up. She, along with so many others, saw both Orimura siblings directly strike them down with their One-Off Abilities. What they saw mere moments ago was nothing short of unspeakable and unbelievable, "I don't know..."

"Where's Tabane?!"

"Ah-she's with your bro-"

"Hey, Tabane!" And she's lost it, "I need you over here! NOW!"

"Not now! Kinda busy here!" Tabane's been looking after nearly every island operation since the attack, including reconstruction and public relations with the rest of the former IS Representative Candidates. Normally, she'd be investigating the structure of the school and the surviving IS units, but that has been left to some of the school staff. Since the attack, as well as the break-in at the compound, her own reputation has been severely damaged; as a result, she cannot freely continue her research and freeloading without some kind of camera on her. Now, she has to face the very small number of female reporters who have been allowed to enter the island to get some clarification on this matter, "Look, we cannot confirm whether or not he really does mean to-"

"Whaddaya mean, "cannot confirm"?! That menace has left Japan in serious turmoil!" One reporter snapped.

"And because of him, the other countries will be able to launch a full-scale IS invasion right here!" Another agreed, "How are you supposed to explain this?!"

"Hey!" Tabane snapped back, "The Alaska Treaty lets everyone else fight back in case something like that happened, but it's rather redundant and pointless considering that we have a full-scale IS-based military unit somewhere in Osaksa!"

"How dare you compare that to your own blunders!" The interview is becoming an angry cesspool of emotional confusion again, "You're the one who created this monstrosity!"

At this point, Ichika butted in, "Is it a monstrosity when it's the people who started to misuse it in the first place?!"

"Says the vermin who started this whole mess! Only females are supposed to be able to use an IS! How do you feel about causing the imbalance of the gender of power among us females?!"

"How the hell can you say that?!" Houki entered the fray, "He never chose to be a pilot in the first place!"

"Is it because of his connection with Orimura Chifuyu," they won't stop at all, "the first Mondo Grosso champion?!"

"What does my being her brother have anything to do with this?"

"Houki Shinonono," a reporter asked, "Is it correct to assume that you would rather all males who are related to IS users reprimanded in any way?"

"What?! I never said that! Who spread that rumor?!"

At this point, the reporters got crazy and started bombarding the trio with questions concerning the male gender "questioning" the current balance of power favoring women, when-

"ALL RIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Someone boomed from across the field. Rockets suddenly rained down and exploded around the entire crowd to terrorize and silence them. When the smoke cleared, everyone was surrounded by instructor-grade ISs, with Chifuyu stepping forward to meet with the crowd. The reporters were trying to stand themselves up, wincing away the shock, but when one of them tried to ask her something, she simply swatted away the voice recorder. All they could garner was, "I think you've heard enough from us. Also, tell your sensationalists that no one will be allowed here until the reconstruction is complete."

"So, are you planning a secret opera-"

"GET OUT!" This time, she unsheathed her twin swords and used their blunt ends to forcefully push the crowd back to the train station, "Hey! I need some help here!" The instructors joined in on the rampage. Within just thirty seconds, they were off the school grounds and trapped in the station until the next train arrives.

The trio just stood there flabbergasted.

"Your sister's scarier than usual..." Houki whispered.

"Uh...huh..." Ichika responded, "Did...anyone...ever see her like that?..."

"It's 4 in the morning..." Tabane solemnly commented, "If it's someone like the renegade...anything can happen..."

If this is any indication of what's to come in the near future, the world might have to face its worst nightmare after all...

"Ikkun," Tabane brought them back to reality, "Why don't you check up on the Brits..."

"Yeah. Sure."

"Houki, we gotta check the satellites..."

"Right." Everyone scurried off just to get away from the scene. Houki and Tabane had to monitor the salvage operation, trying to make use of the rubble on the island, while tending to those that have been injured and/or scarred for life. One in particular was sobbing uncontrollably. Her pink hair was nearly charred off; were it not for the sacrifice of her older sister, she would've been crushed under the rubble. She was kneeling right beside a black zippered-up bag, covering her tears in long sleeves.

"Nohohon-san...are you-"

"Ohhh, Houki!" She grabbed Houki by the waist and buried her face into her, "Utsuho...Utsuho is...!"

"Everything's gonna be ok-"

"No, it's not! I've lost her! I've lost my sister!" She continued to unleash her sadness. Houki could only gently pet her head and cuddle her. It was clear that she wasn't fully aware of who exactly did this, but now isn't the time to dwell on the enemy, not when they themselves need healing. "There there, Honne..." And she softly cooed "Hoshi No Rarabai".

All the while absorbing what has transpired during the past day. So many lives lost to pure senseless violence. The IS Academy's student and staff is made of females (and one male) that share a tightly knit friendship. To have it suddenly torn asunder like this was a crisis on another level. How could someone just sever their bonds without a hint of remorse? For some, that brought the all-too familiar feeling of fear, anger, hatred, and regret. The same feelings that many felt when they were ripped from the safety of their parents' warmth because they scored high on the IS Aptitude Exam. Or when they were blackmailed to attend the IS Academy. Either way, they wanted him dead. And yet, there are very few that have the means to kill him, but they weren't those few.

When they survivors weren't holding hands and burying faces of pain, they were frantically exhausting their efforts to restore the school. A few yards across from them, Tabane was rallying the crew to free the space around the destruction, even jumping in to help when the ruins were about to crush them. All the while, she's digging through the ruins and sifting through the rock, metal, and remnants, desperate to restore the fallen fortress to its former glory. Despite stumbling upon her broken leg, she refused to relent and just kept digging with her bare hands. It was as if she was searching deep inside herself for a lost memory, one that she longed to relive but will never come to pass.

A boom was later heard from across the area where the confrontation with the reporters took place. Tons of metal and circuitry fell to the waters below them, forever to be lost in isolation. Much like the rest of the island now. No one will be allowed back on IS Academy campus grounds.

Houki could only stare at the chaos around her; to her, it seemed as though the world was going insane, not the other way around.

"C'mon, Honne..." she finally said, "We gotta look after the others..."

"Mmm..." Honne slowly wiped away at her eyes, looking up at Houki, "Ok..." They stood each other up and walked towards the destroyed tram station, hand in hand. "Um...Houki?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you crying?"

"Ah...no, I'm fine! Really! These are someone else's tears."

"Oh...whose?"

"Well...I don't know..."

"Why not?"

"Well...when someone can't cry because they have to stay strong, someone else suddenly does it for them..."

"Is it someone you care about?"

"...Yeah...it always is..."

"Are you crazy, Chifuyu-nee?!" Ichika bellowed, "Do you have any idea what's gonna happen to us?!"

"It's for the safety and sanity of everyone here," Chifuyu reasoned, "We cannot allow anyone off the island, except for pursuit and capture missions."

"But, Orimura-sensei!" Cecilia said, "What if they refuse aid for us?!"

"Then you'll make them send aid to us."

"But they know everything that's transpired here! They know that one of Japan's own citizens has stolen an IS! Betrayed his one country!"

"Not like that's anything new to you, now is it?"

"Wha..." Cecilia was stunned, "But-We never meant to do that! You know it!"

"Yeah, talk to the hand your country bit during the IS War."

"Nee-san, you can't still be hung up on that!" Ichika protested, "She had nothing to do with that!"

"And what do think I saved your sorry ass for, then?! You haven't forgotten what they did to you, have you?!"

"Yeah, I haven't forgotten. But you can't expect me to dwell on the past so much that it starts to rot your entire brain."

"What...just came outta your cake hole?" Chifuyu has exceeded her maximum anger output.

"Were you not listening?! You always act like this whenever a crisis strikes! Always the generalizer! Always blaming someone for a mistake people like her caused!"

"Enough, Ichika."

"No, it's not enough! It's barely anything! It's like I'm seeing two sides of the same heart and I can't choose between the two I hate!" That did it. She dropped her swords and rushed him. Right in the middle of his rant. "Whaddaya think Mom and Dad would do if they saw this happening to us, huh?!"

She slapped him across the cheek. From out of nowhere. Everyone nearby just stood there in horrified awe and gasped. They just saw Chifuyu Orimura, the former reigning IS Champion, the one person who cared so much for her little brother, whip him. Not just a comical head whack. This was different. This is the kind of hit you give to someone to tell them to shut up or die.

Ichika could only look on with absolute rage. So many mixed emotions. There was only a split second pause, but the entire world seemed to halt to revere in this moment. Right before it resumed its normal flow. By then, the call had already been responded. He lunged at her and punched her cheek.

Houki and Honne finally walked into the area when they saw the fight.

"What the-Ichika?!" Houki gasped.

"What are you doing?!" Honne tried to rush into their fray.

"No, Honne!" Houki held her back, "This isn't our fight!"

"But! She just slapped her own brother! They're family!"

"I know. That's why we can't help him."

At that point, the fight escalated into an all-out brawl. No ISs. No weapons. Just an old-school beatdown. Claws scratching skin, black eyes created, nothing is out of bounds. the two were lost in their tried-out emotions, never to return to the sanity, or lack thereof, of the real world. No one moved except a few who didn't notice the onslaught. They couldn't do anything, lest they be caught in the whirlpool of mixed feelings.

Until Tabane showed up with her entourage of worn-out staff members.

"What's happening?" She asked while beholding the confusion between two undefinable figures.

"They've...well..."

"What?" Someone pointed to the center. By then, she was able to make out their forms, "Oh my gosh! Somebody stop them!"

"They'll tear us apart, too!" a nurse answered.

"Fine," She shoved the comrade she had been helping up into the nurse's face, "Hold this," and she flung herself into the brawl, "Alright! That's enough-"

Before she could finish her thoughts, she caught herself between two brutal punches from opposite sides.

"No! Nee-san!" Houki dropped her composure and rushed to her side. Horne followed suit to try and reach out to Ichika. By then, Tabane had completely forgotten about her recovering leg. She grabbed their heads and plunged them into the ground, blinding them. Ichika reached out for the nearest thing he could rip off. He grabbed her breasts and tried to crush them. Chifuyu reached out for her pink hair and yanked it. Houki jumped in just in time and struck their arms to stop them from hurting each other further.

Honne tackled Ichika and freed him from the vice grips of the battered sister, "Orimū! Stop!"

"Ggh! Get off me, Nohohon!" He yelled as he tried to wrest her from his hips.

"Do you even know what you're doing?!"

"I said get-OFF!" He grabbed her by the neck and nearly crushed her stomach with his knee. The force of the blow sent shockwaves to every muscle in her body. She loosed her grip and knelt down on the ground, puking and panting for air. That made Chifuyu want even more. She bore her fangs and charged straight at him as he prepared his right fist to take her teeth out. But right before they contacted each other, Tabane tripped Chifuyu while Chelsea snuck from behind and pinned him to the ground.

"Ichika, stop this nonsense and come to your senses!" Chelsea commanded him.

"You too?! What's wrong with you?!"

"Me?! What about you?! Look around you! Everyone's working their lives off to make little of what they have! We don't need another hissy-fissy farce to completely destroy us!"

He saw the looks on their faces alright. Horrified, flabbergasted...it's like their saw the perfect representation of their sanity reduced to naught. And he was in the center of it all. He shifted his eyes to the small crowd on the field. His sister, still glaring him down. His childhood friend, wounding if her heart was just shattered a while ago. The girl he kneed, still holding on for dear life, now surrounded by others who share in her concern and disdain towards him. The rabbit girl, still standing, eyes full of sadness, her leg bleeding profusely once more.

"We don't wanna be here anymore than you do!" The maid continued her lecture, "But we absolutely cannot afford to let our emotions get the better of us! Not when there's a hell of a lot more lives that are seeing the door right now while we continue to be enthralled by your temper tantrums! Would you like to calm down now, or is this too much for you?!"

She slowly released her grapple on him. He stood himself up and stared at everyone around him. They all gave him a disapproving look. He returned it with a more disapproving one, "What the hell ever." Then, he spat in Chelsea's direction and stormed off.

"And where do you think you're going?!"

"Away from Miss Black Sheep over there!"

"It never stops with y-" Chifuyu tried to rush him again, but she was interrupted by a head kick. She was knocked to the ground again, "Ow! Who's the bright shi-uh..."

It was Tabane and her re-broken leg. Houki was hugging her arm tightly, hiding behind her as if she had just escaped a nightmare. But this wasn't a nightmare; it was real. They both stared down at Chifuyu in tears, Tabane clenching her fists and looking angry. She spent ten whole seconds leering down at her. Then, she swatted Houki away.

"WHADDAYA LOOKING AT?!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, "BACK TO WORK, ALL O'YA!"

Everyone scattered. Within seconds, the field was completely empty, save for ten people. Honne was still reeling from the attack; her friends did everything they could to calm her down, but now she's forever traumatized. They helper her onto their shoulders and carried her to the recovery area.

Tabane still had her leg brace on, so she used it to walk back to the destruction site, despite her leg being re-broken.

Houki slowly walked to Chelsea, wondering what just transpired. She assured her that it was nothing they hadn't been exposed to before, and they walk away from the field, towards the communication station.

Leaving Chifuyu alone, broken for the first time. She didn't even try to move. She just sat there, head bowed to the ground, emotionless.

From behind the trees, Clarissa witnessed the entire scuffle. She held her breath from the moment the train station was blown up to the final sendoff. Her mind was still processing the unbearable.

"The renegade's the catalyst...but this time, we're at fault..." she whispered. Her diamond ring glowed green; she tapped it, "Commander...did you..."

"Yes. The entire fight."

"Oh..."

"This renegade is more of a threat than any of us had anticipated..."

"And the police saw your face as well..."

A full minute of silence, until...

"Clarissa, I'm afraid I must sever my connection with you."

"What?! Why?!"

"If we are to subdue the renegade, I must remain hidden in the eyes of the people. Including Ichika. If anyone else sees me, they'll relate my mission to yours and track all of you down. I cannot risk the safety of everyone on the island."

"I...I understand."

"The army has their orders in the hands of the unit captains, but I leave the Schwarzer Hase in your command."

"Yes...thank you, Captain..."

"I must go. This is goodbye." Before she could respond, the channel was cut off. The next message read COULD NOT CONNECT. CHANNEL NON EXISTENT.

She closed her eyes, staying still and quiet long enough to build resolve within her heart. Then, she walked back to the German barracks, determined to capture and paralyze the renegade.

"This is the last time the renegade will ever see any light," she whispered.


	5. Chapter 5: The Phantom Menace

_Part 5: The Phantom Menace_

Once again, Sokoto has escaped his captors and ran off into the urban wilderness, gaining one more day to survive and live. He ran as far as he could, never stopping for a moment, for fear of being butchered into pieces. He raced throughout the streets, past the areas without streetlights, ran up the mountains, and jumped into the trees and forests of the suburban landscapes. Three hours into the run, he sensed his body giving into exhaustion, so he flung himself into some bushes and collapsed.

Four hours later, he awoke to the sound of chirping birds. He winced the wax away from his eyes. The sun's rays peered through the trees and burned down on his wound.

"Rrgh...Goddammit..." He's been clutching his side ever since the encounter with Laura, trying to push the dislocated rib back inside. But it was too far off position and the cartilage inside him had already been somewhat hardened. Now, he's just trying not to lose a body part. He did the one thing he could think of to gain another few hours of life.

He ran his broken rib into the nearest tree. It popped back into place, but some of the skin that conformed with the huge lump created by that rib got caught in the closing between the bones. He let out a frightening, agonizing cry. He staggered back, but somehow he prevented himself from falling. He bent over to allow the pain in his rib dissociate throughout his body. He took several painful deep breaths to ready himself for what's about to come next. He inhaled, held his breath, pushed his ribs together so that they could stay in place despite the friction from the skin being removed either from the area or from the outside layer of his skin, and quickly forced himself upright. The ribs stayed intact, but the skin was completely ripped from the inside. To anyone else, it looked like he had a huge gash. Blood spewed from his body and stained the grass. The painful shock was too much to handle. His mind had blanked out. He fainted again.

A couple hours later...

...voices...from a device...

"Mmm..."

...static...

"...nnnn..."

LOUD MUSICAL INTRO.

"YOW! HEY!"

He woke up in a hotel room this time. All luxurious and untampered with, as if there was no one in this room. He did countless double takes before realizing what just happened. Someone rescued him. But who? Does that person know of his wanted status? And if she does, what will she demand? Who is she working with? He stopped thinking and plopped back down on the bed. He rubbed his hands all across his hair, trying to piece together the events of everything that disrupted his peaceful lifestyle. He closed his eyes and laid there.

The memories are coming back to him. The raid on Ogusu High...the escape to the resort...and the attack that bore all fangs to the world. He escaped under the cover of night. The blinking street lights. The sudden strike on that weird island facility. And that person that saved him when he washed up on shore. She didn't look like she wanted to abuse him. What was her true motive in saving his life? And was she behind this? Wrapping him up in bandages and throwing him on a bed...No normal person does that.

"Ok..." He resolved his mind as he got out of bed, "I'm gonna get out and find that woman again. Make her spill her-" Not two seconds after he walked towards the door did he stop himself in front of a mirror, "Oh my god! What did they to me?!" Whoever dragged him here did a real number on his head. Not only was his hairstyle completely changed and recolored to mimic a schoolgirl's normal short-hair cut, but his blue eyes were now disguised by brown-collared contact lenses, "Who thought this was a good idea and why?!"

Just then, the TV wall gave him the answer. It flashed to a breaking news alert. He immediately swerved his way back onto the bed and cuddled his knees to watch the newswoman blab away,

"Police are still on the hunt for a certain unnamed individual who was last seen breaking into a cemetery management facility and escaping with a valuable commodity. The high officials are saying that he could be anywhere, ready to strike when least expected. Hundreds of officers are searching right now, and IS task-force is on high alert. NHK's Masayami Miyako standing at a destroyed train station. Miyako, what is it about this individual that has everyone on edge? What about him that would make the IS Academy destroy the only reliable means of physical connection?"

"Oh," Sokoto laughed, "This oughta be good!"

"Well, Chinami," the reporter said, "If you take a look at his face-" A picture of Sokoto escaping Naha Police Station, face and everything, flashed beside her. "-it doesn't seem like the type of man that would dare overstep his boundaries of his influence, but as we have seen in the previous days, this man is willing to do anything to topple the power scales."

Sokoto turned the TV off and let the remote thud to the ground. He just stared at the black screen, eyes widened, mouth twitching. He done it now. He let the whole world know of his now permanent presence in the fabric of history. As soon as he steps out the front entrance, everyone will be on a mad dash for his head. He continued to ponder this thought for two whole minutes. Then, he slapped himself hard to shake it off and bring himself back to reality.

"Well, I'm throughly creeped out! I gots to go!" He laughed as he jumped out of bed, but just as he was about to run towards the door, there was a soft knock from the room beside his. He froze and turned his attention towards the connecting door, waiting for something to break it down and push him to the brink of insanity.

It wasn't a something. It was a someone, "Can I come in?" a female voice sifted through the door.

"Depends," he answered, "What do you want?"

"I just wanna talk. I won't do anything weird to you."

"Ok...I'm opening the door..." He crept slowly towards the door, trying to come up with an escape plan, "Ok, Silvia. When she opens the door, get ready to-" Then he realized, she was stolen away from him. "Rrrgh! Gonna have to do this on my own, then." He reached his arm for the handle. Once he grabbed it, he slowly lowered it until he could feel the door just about to open. He took a deep breath to mentally ready himself. Then, he swung the door open and charged in.

"YAAAAA-What the-"

No one was inside! What's happening here?! Everything looks all too brand new! Someone had to have snuck outside during his freak-out time.

"Ok...that was-"

"Does that count as doing something weird?"

"YAAHAHAA!" Someone startled him from behind. He jumped and turned to face his sneaky neighbor. It was a woman with beige-orangish hair and red eyes, wearing a light-purple dress. She had her hands on her hips like she was expecting him to put up a fool's fight. As in, he looked like the maniac compared to her.

"Hahhh...Don't do that again!" He said while catching his breath.

"Why not?" She responded while walking towards him, forcing Sokoto to slowly back up, "I thought it'd be a nice little ice breaker."

"What ice exists right now, I ask you?!" He said until he tripped on his own feet and fell. At that point, he felt her on top of him, "OOF!" He took a brief glance into her eyes. They were driven mad with lust, but for what? He cringed and shut his eyes when he felt her stroke his hair, "Oh my...WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, WOMAN?!" He really lost it when she wrapped his hear around her arms and hugged it to her chest. He literally failed his arms around, but nothing was happening. Then, he felt something on his forehead. 'AAAAAAAAAAAAA! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! GET THIS PSYCHOPATHIC LOVEBIRD OFFA ME!' After a grueling minute of fighting for his composure, he felt a surge of relief and fresh air flood his body. He allowed his lungs to intake huge breaths as his body stopped producing sweat. "Oh...ohohoh, man...I could've died, thank you for noticing!"

"Wow," she didn't notice, "that's a really nice reaction."

"OH, HOLY S***! THE STARS ARE BRIGHTLY S***TING!"

"Come now, we shouldn't take out our frustrations here. Let's go down to the cafe. Then we can talk."

"That's what's frustrating you right now?!" Again, she didn't notice. She just strutted her stuff out the door. He can only look on with the most bewildered face ever conceived. He knew he's been bewitched now.

At the hotel's outdoor cafe...

Sokoto nervously sipped on his iced tea, trying to avoid all eye contact with the molester sitting in front of him. She just looked onward with a keen curiosity, constantly making him blush.

"Y'know, you have an aggressive way of exerting yourself..." he finally broke the silence.

"I get that a lot. Especially when I'm with my comrades."

"Uh...really? Do they have to put up with your...an...tics?"

"What," twinkle in her eyes, "Would you like to see more?"

"Uh..." He turned away in embarrassment, "I'm more interested in what your deal is with those psychopathic flirt-offs..."

"I actually have someone in mind. I get nervous when I'm around that person, so I need to practi-"

He banged his head on the table, "Then, why me?"

"Relax," she playfully wagged her hand at him, "I'm only using you as a toy."

"Oh! Oh! Thank god!" He brushed his forehead in elation. A waitress grabbed his shoulder from behind and held him in place.

"Excuse me," she hissed, "but you need to leave. Now."

"Oh, no," the woman politely said, "There's no need. He's with me."

"Are you sure we don't-"

The woman gave her the death glare, "There. Is. No. Need."

The waitress froze for a bit. Then, she released her grip on him and briskly left them.

"Whew...thanks for the save..."

"Not a problem," she winked.

"Eep..." he sipped a hard one from his cup, and turned away again, "Though, we could've handled her easily, thank you very much..."

"Hmm? Who's we?"

"Huh? Me and Silvi-uh..." He reached for his neck, but felt nothing. Then he checked his wrist, "Oh..."

"What?"

"Oh, it's nothing you should be worried about..."

"It's about Silvia, isn't it?"

"! How did you know?...Are you a stalker?!"

"In a way, yeah..."

"Uh..."

"It's fine! It's fine!" she reassured him, "Only me and a few buddies know about you two. But, tell me. Why'd you give it a name?"

Sokoto paused for a minute to think about why he would randomly give an inorganic object human qualities and personality. He sighed to signal that he finally made up his mind, "I dunno. Every since I first touched-uh...activated...it...I felt this incredible bond forming between the two of us. I felt like I had a partner to fight with, play some jokes with, just shoot a breeze anywhere, the works! Like the sister I never had..."

"*snicker* You could tell all that just from eight days with her?"

"Hey, this stuff runs deep with me. Don't call me out on something I know to be fact, ok?"

"Ok...go on."

"Anyway...I could sense that she wanted to bond with someone, I mean... We both have a lot in common. Abandoned at birth, left to die so many times... The only difference is that she's been left out there, immobilized and incapable of calling for any help. Actually, no. I felt this weird gust bellow out from this compound; yeah, she can sorta communicate. But it was like I had to rescue her. Since then, I took her on a different ride than what a robot would normally take."

"Huh?"

"Well...How do I put this...You know when you'd normally use a robotic machine for one specific function, and that function only? Or when you confine some random mechanical marvel to a specific place only for display? Well, when I saw that dust on her, I did not want her to live that kind of life. I took her for a whirl around Japan, the pagan island...Man, I just wanted her to live a little..." At this point, he was lost in his own mind, "But...Rabbit woman stole her away...probably gonna use her as a guinea pig for some godforsaken experiment...Just for one day, I'd like to see somebody treat differences right..."

She placed her hands on the table and crept on the table towards him. He backed away into his seat until he was immobilized and could feel her breath, "Hey...you're doing it again..."

"We saw what you did back there," she said, using a whisper that combined creepy and sweetly, "The attack on IS Academy? The raid on the IS Development Center? That's not something that can be done without mad talent."

"Uh...so?..."

"I knew you were special the minute I saw you on the cams...You're different." She whispered while she played her finger with his nose, "I like different. I like people who don't conform to the normality tide."

"Yaagh..." He's pulling the rosy reds now, "What's with you? There are people out here!"

"Don't pay any mind to them," she silenced him with that same finger, "Instead, pay attention to my comrades. They need a strong man to help them. We've lost everything. We almost died. Now, it's time to bring back their flame. Bring back their spark."

"Ok, ok...Whaddaya want me to do?" He felt her hands around his neck, "Oh, geez. I'm gonna die today."

She forced his frightened eyes to meet her alluring gaze, "Join Phantom Task. Join us on a conquest to wreak havoc upon this world. I promise you won't be disappointed," she touched her forehead to his, "And we'll get Silvia back."

"Gguhh...Hah...Re-really-you promise?"

"I promise..."

"Ok...ok...I'll join...just...leggoamealreadyImabouttapissmypantsandsweatouttamy-"

"Ok," she said normally and jumped off of him, "Too much information."

"Gah...hah...geez...what's wrong with you?..."

Someone kicked his butt.

"Uh, what's wrong with you?" A rich female customer mocked him, "You should be more grateful that she's cleaning up your filth." At that point, almost everyone gave him a dirty look and a cold remark. He so wanted to flip some tables just to stick it in their faces, but he knew he couldn't. here was a creepy moolester woman standing behind him who might bring him to his knees if he made the wrong move. He simply turned his back on them and left. She followed him out. When they were far away enough not to be seen by anyone in the hotel, he let out a yell of gratefulness,

"Hoooly Moly! Hoooly Moly! Holy-Moly! Holy-Moly! Holyyy Molyy!"

"What the hell are you doing?..." she kept that same gentle smile on her as she walked with him.

"I so wanted to sock'em in their cake holes! I dunno why I didn't-Y'know, I was on the fence with this whole "Phantom Task" thing seeing as how I've only heard of them like an hour ago, but now? I wanna join! I don't like their tone of voice they use with everyone around here, poor or male!"

"Wow...no one's ever been this enthusiastic with us..."

"That's because they never lost anything! They don't got nothing to work for 'cuz they already got it! News flash! There's a whole underground world down there, just waiting to be explor-" He suddenly stopped talking.

"Hmm?" What's wrong?"

He looked forward with a solemn, forlorn expression, "You said you'd rescue Silvia...did you mean it?..."

"Mm-hmm," she said cheerfully, "Every word of it."

"You promise?" He looked up, as if expecting a messenger. She noticed his longing eyes. He really wanted to topple the world off the balance beam...but he just couldn't leave his best friend behind.

"Hey," she tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to her, making their eyes meet again, "I said we'll get her back. And we'll get her back. I promise."

"Alright..." He turned back and walked towards the unknown, but he kept silent. No doubt thinking of what Silvia might be going through at this moment. For some reason, the woman winced a little bit once she saw his noiseless composure.

"Um...Anna..." she blurted out.

"Huh?" He snapped back to her.

"That's my name...Anna..." she was blushing a little bit, "Everyone calls me Autumn, but my real name is Anna Koller. I'm Austrian, by the way."

"Oh..." He's eased up for a little bit, "I don't know my real name, so I took on Fukuyama Sokoto just because it sounded cool. But I do know I was born on the Shikoku island."

"Ugh...rough island."

"Harsh island. So...where are these Phantom Task guys?"

"Right here, actually."

"Hm?" They stopped in front of a residential apartment complex. It wasn't newly built, but it looked like it could stand against the modern buildings of Shibuya. "Whoa...y'all live here now?"

"Yeah...there's just the three of us, but we got a month's lease on two rooms. C'mon, I'll show you where you'll be staying."

She led him to the top floor. These apartments had enough space to fit a small family, it seemed like. A full on studio-style apartment with a balcony and two separate bedrooms. The living, kitchen, and dining rooms were all combined into one mega room. Everything looked so brand new, with wooden flooring and sleek wall paint.

"Hello, beautiful..." he was taken by the beauty of a modern apartment, that's for sure, "Where have you been all my life..."

"Feel free to accommodate yourself. We're gonna be here for quite a while, but try not to leave the apartment complex unless we're out on a mission, ok?"

"Yeah...I gotcha..."

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then..." she turned around and left him to drown in his amazement, "Oh, and Sokoto?"

"Huh?" He regained his composure, "Wha-oh...yeah?"

"About my real name...just forget I ever said that...call me Autumn from now on..."

"Oh...yeah, sure."

And with that, she went a few steps down the hall to another room and went inside.

"Huh...so that's it?" Yes. That's your orientation. Seriously. "Well...better get used to it..." He went back inside and flung himself on a couch, arms folded over his head.

"*SIGH*...So, what now? I'm gonna be here for over a month with a bounty for a million make up kits on my head...nothing much else to do until we can storm them directly...and find out where they've taken her..." He's still thinking about his brief moments with his beloved robot companion. He really wants her to experience the life he's been granted. Once again, he ponders his IS's life before Sokoto and Silvia. What must it be like to live your life not being able to do anything but just wait for the flow of time to claim it and render you incapable of living. What must it be like to just stand there, motionless, forced to watch everyone tinker with your very body and just leave you there, never to come into contact with anyone in the outside world, being confined to a cramped corner for all eternity...

"Yeah...we gotta get her back from those guys..." he silently thought to himself.

Just then, the door opened. Sokoto leaned his head back to peek at the original resident of this place, "Hmm? Hey! You!"

It was a female, and she had some groceries with her. The resident's unsympathetic expression remained unchanged, "Huh?"

"You're the girl who healed me when I was about to die! When I crashed onto the island!"

"What?"

"Huh? Oh," he suddenly remembered that his hair and eyes were altered. He hassled his hair until it returned to his regular hair style, and ditched the contact lenses. Now, he looked like his old self again, except his hair, which he sliced off the biggest chunks, "Now, you remember?"

The woman blankly stared at him for a moment, before becoming slightly irritated, "I thought I told you not to do anything stupid." She trudged towards her room, dropping the groceries onto the countertop.

"Hey, what's your problem, lady?" he smirked, "No respect for guests or just a hissy temper tantrum, huh?"

"Not for you, punk," she bluntly stated as she stormed into her room and slammed the door shut.

"Well!" He tuned in to his sassy moment, "ExcUUUUUUse moi!" He gave her the z-snap and strutted towards the grocery pile, "I guess there ain't gonna be no dinner for you, then!" He proceeded to set everything out and plan tonight's dinner.

Little did he know, that meanwhile, all the way in the other apartment...

Autumn emerged from the shower, completely naked, all refreshed and brimming with delight, "Whew! Aww, that felt so good!" She dried herself and threw the towel onto her bed, "I knew that kid was gonna come in handy. I needed a punching bag, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to make it all the way home...Well, maybe not a punching bag...Can't dwell on the small stuff, now can I?"

She walked over to her closet and donned a corset and leggings, "At least I found the solution to all our problems..." she slipped into her black panties, "It has been a long search, but I can finally relax a bit now..." She took a flogger and a whip from her drawer. Her voice changed from feeling good to feeling calm, "Hmm...that kid...We shouldn't take out our frustrations here..." She slowly walked towards the other bedroom, changing her voice from calming to singsongy, almost demented, "I was right, y'know...we should be doing away from the prying eyes of the world...He's right...I'd love to spend all our time trapped in our own little fantasy world..."

She opened the second bedroom door...

There was a voluptuous woman, lying face up. Her hands and feet were tied down to the bed frame's corners. Her mouth was covered with multiple gags, allowing only the softest of muffled screams to pass through the cloth gates. Her eyes were blindfolded, but that didn't stop the tears from escaping. Her body was covered in scratch marks. Her mole under her left eye had been ripped off.

That woman heard the door close, followed by a haunting whisper:

"Wouldn't you say so...Squall?..."

_And so, it has begun._

_Sokoto's encounter with Phantom Task...supposedly, they died during the final battle with the IS Representative Candidates._

_But what does their connection with the renegade signify?_

_Does Sokoto have a chance of finding out what his new friends are truly about?_

_And how does he plan to confront his new pursuers, not knowing anything about the pasts of his allies or enemies?_

_We will address these questions, as well as the reason for the main title, on the next episode of Infinite Stratos: Virus._


End file.
